490 



A WORD IN FAVOR OF EVERGREENS. 



whose parks and pleasure grounds are al- 

 most wholly evergreen, because her climate 

 is so Avonderfully congenial to their culture 

 that dozens of species grow with the great- 

 est luxuriance there, which neither France, 

 Germany, nor the northern United States 

 will produce ; we say. compared with Eng- 

 land, the variety of evergreens which it is 

 possible for us to cultivate is quite limited. 

 Still, though the variety is less, the general 

 effect that may be produced is the same ; 

 and there is no apology for our neglecting, 

 at least, the treasures that lie at our very 

 gates, and by our road-sides — the fine in- 

 digenous trees of our country. These 

 are within every one's reach ; and even 

 these, if pioperly introduced, would give 

 a perpetual richness and beauty to our 

 ornamental grojnds, of which they are 

 at this time, with partia. exceptions, al- 

 most destitute. 



As we are addressing ourselves, now, 

 chiefly to beginners, or those who have 

 hitherto neglected this branch of arboricul- 

 ture, we may commence by mentioning, 

 at the outset, four evergreen trees worthy 

 of attention — indeed, of almost universal 

 attention, in our ornamental plantations. 

 Those are the Hemlock, the l\ hlte Pine, 

 the Norivay Spruce and the Balsa?:! Fir. 



We place the Hemlock (Abies canaden- 

 sis) first, as we consider it, beyond all ques- 

 tion, the most graceful and beautiful e^^er- 

 green tree commonly grown in this coun- 

 try. In its wild haunts, by the side of som^ 

 steep mountain, or on the dark wooded 

 banks of some deep valley, it is most often 

 a grand and picturesque tree ; when, as 

 in some parts of the northern states, it 

 covers countless acres of wild forest land, it 

 becomes gloomy and monotonous. Hence, 

 there are few of our readers, unfamiliar as 

 they are with it but in these phases, who 

 have the least idea of its striking beauty 



when grown alone, in a smooth lawn, its 

 branches extending freely on all sides, and 

 sweeping the ground, its loose spray and 

 full feathery foliage floating freely in the 

 air, and its proportions full of the finest 

 symmetry and harmony. For airy grace- 

 fulness, and the absence of that stiffness 

 more or less prevalent in most evergreens, 

 we must be allowed, therefore, to claim the 

 first place for the Hemluck, as a tree for the 

 lawn or park. 



Unfortunately, the Hemlock has the re- 

 putation of being a difficult tree to trans- 

 plant ; and though we have seen a thou- 

 sand of them removed with scarcely the loss 

 of half a dozen plants, yet we are bound to 

 confess, that, with the ordinary rude hand- 

 ling of the common gardener, it is often 

 impatient of removal. The truth is, all 

 evergreens are far more tender in their 

 roots than deciduous trees. They will not 

 bear that exposure to the sun and air, even 

 for a short period, which seems to have 

 little effect upon most deciduous trees. 

 Once fairly dried and shrivelled, their 

 roots are slow to regain their former vi- 

 tal power, and the plant in consequence 

 dies. 



This point vi'ell understood and guarded 

 against, the Hemlock is by no means a 

 difficult tree to remove from the nurse- 

 ries.* When taken from the woods, it is 

 best done with a frozen ball of earth in 

 wiriter ; or, if the soil is sufficiently tena- 

 cious, with a damp ball in the spring, as 

 has lately been recommended by one of our 

 correspondents. 



Of all the well known Pines, we give 

 the preference to our native White Pine, 

 {Pi7ius strobus,) for ornamental purposes. 

 The soft and agreeable hue of its pliant fo- 



* In the I nrseries this, and other evergreens, over four feet, 

 should be regularly root runed ; i. e., the longest rows short- 

 ened with a spade every yax. Treated thus, there is no diffi- 

 culty whatever in reinoing trees of ten or twelve feet high. 



